California
by Lizwontcry
Summary: It's a year after the finale, and Rachel goes out to LA to visit Joey. She's a little disenchanted with Ross and wants something different. Is California the answer? Told from Rachel's perspective. RR please!


**A/N - This is my first shot at Friends fanfic, so who knows. I've just been watching a few of the season 8 episodes where Joey's all in love with Rachel, and it's just so cute and inspiring. So here it is!**

**Disclaimer - They ain't mine. **

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Chapter 1 - Regrets**

I didn't know why I was so nervous. It's just Joey, after all. It's Joey! I've seen him a million times! We even lived together, for crying out loud.

But as the plane traveled over the mountains and oceans and everything else between New York and Los Angeles, I finally admitted to myself that I really was nervous. I haven't seen him in a year, and so much has happened since we parted ways. I missed Joey.

When my sister Amy called me and said her current adventure was trying to make it as an actress in LA, I quickly told her that I'd love to come out and visit sometime. She was surprised that I wanted to see her, but I wasn't. In reality, I just wanted an excuse to see my friend Joey.

The plane ride was a long one, and I took the time to zone out and think about my current situation. After a while, the thought that has been penetrating my brain for almost a year now came back again, and instead of pushing it away, I let myself really think about it.

I should have gone to Paris.

I was just so wrapped up in everything that was happening around us that I decided to stay in New York. Monica and Chandler had brand new twins to take care of, Joey was deciding if he wanted to move to LA, Mike and Phoebe were settling into their new marriage.. I didn't want to miss it all. And of course, I didn't want to leave Ross behind. After all, as Phoebe says, he's my lobster. I love him, I do. But I should have gone to Paris.

As the plane neared California, I put all unpleasant thoughts aside and focused on my vacation. I knew there was going to be some beach action - I couldn't wait to try out my new bikini. Joey knew I was coming but we didn't have any concrete plans yet. I didn't want to interfere with any of his auditions or anything.

When we finally landed, I took my time in getting all my stuff and leaving the plane. I was just expecting to get a taxi, since my sister was off doing whatever self-asborbed venture she was into at the moment. But the first person I saw when I got off the plane was Joey! At first I thought I was seeing things, but there he was in all his Joey glory.

"Joey! What are you doing here?!" I gave him a big hug and took a long look at him. Damn! Was he working out or what?!

"You said you were just going to take a taxi back to your sister's, and I thought it would be nice to come see you and take you over there myself. You don't want to mess with the taxi's here, believe me."

I gave him another hug and noticed him giving me a nice little look over.

"So, how you doin?" He said. I cracked up.

We walked, arm in arm, over to the luggage carousel and got my stuff. We found his car somewhere miles away from the airport, and we slipped into a comfortable conversation. Finally, he brought it up.

"So, how are you and Ross? I've been dying to know ever since I moved out here! I feel so far away!"

"We're okay. Emma is growing up so fast, and we're just trying to be good parents, you know?" I fell silent. I didn't know what else to say about us.

Joey was always good about sensing the fact that something else was below the surface.

"Come on, Rach. What's really going on with you two?"

"I don't know.. you know how many times we've broken up and gotten back together," I said, warming up to the conversation. "I just feel like I'm waiting for something bad to happen so we can do it again. And, well.."

"What?" He said curiously.

"I should have gone to Paris. If he really wanted to be with me, he could have come too. I should have gone, Joey. Now I'm doing the same thing I've always done, in the same place I've always been. I should have gone to Paris."

We were both silent for a while. I felt a little drained, but I was always so comfortable around Joey that I knew I didn't have to be careful what I said. Monica was my best friend, but lately I didn't feel like I could really confide in her anymore. She had so much to do, especially with the twins, not to mention the fact that she'd tell Chandler everything I said. I almost felt like Joey was the only person I could talk to these days.

More than that, he was really the only person I wanted to talk to. I hadn't realized how much I missed him until I saw him smiling at me at the airport. There was a weird feeling in my stomach that I hadn't had since Barbados, and as hard as I tried to shake it off, it wouldn't go away.

**TBC!**


End file.
